The Pensive Rose
by Apollyon's Mercy
Summary: Amelia is a rebellious, nonchalant Peacekeeper serving under contract to Hervis Daubeny, with the Blackstone Legion on the rise, and her loyalty to her lord ever-faltering, how will she react and respond to the events of her future as they unravel?
1. Chapter 1 - Never a Rose Without a Thorn

**Greetings!**

 **This is the first chapter of my first story, so I hope you like it!**

 **I plan on very _loosely_ following the main story of For Honor, but only from my MC's perspective so... it's essentially a new story, with certain characters and locations pulled from the For Honor campaign.**

 **I plan on consistently updating this, and have absolutely every intention on seeing it through, there's nothing worse than an unfinished story, in my opinion!**

 **My first chapter is a little shorter, that's simply because it's currently 2:30am, and I found an acceptable place to leave it for a pilot chapter.**

 **That's all the mindless chatter I have for now, so... I hope you enjoy it!**

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 _A secluded keep, at the edge of the known world, overseen by a dishonourable mercenary general, known by many as a coward, and even more as a traitor to the revered Blackstone Legion..._

On the forefront battlements of the keep, a lone catapult resided, despite it's poor material quality, it was more than enough to repel enemy siege engines, as well as the perfect climbing frame for a nimble assassin her down time. Amelia sat in silence, sparing a quick look at her worn sword and dagger, discarded on the ground below her.

"Is this what you wanted, mother?" She muttered.

She directed her gaze away from her shoddy weaponry, it was usable, but she knew she could teach the smiths here a thing or two about the minimum expected quality of standard issue arms. She sat for a while longer, scanning the horizon, what for, she did not know, but like a bird trapped in a cage, she urged for an escape. An escape from the tedious duties that _luxurious_ castle life brought with it.

"Thought I might find you here." A jolly voice sounded from further down the wall, followed by a brief chuckle, as the footsteps of a partially plated knight grew closer, she noticed it was non other than Hector, the only Warden stationed at this keep, besides their dastard liege lord, Hervis Daubeny.

She remained silent, sparing him nothing more than a quick glance, simply to identify the one bold enough to break the silence she enjoyed indulging her self in so much. She sighed, making the smallest inch of effort to greet him.

"Hector." Nothing more, nothing less, but he knew her well enough to know that even that much was a blessing.

He stood in silence for a while, taking a moment to appreciate of the setting sun on the horizon, but as things started to get a little awkward, he turned to face the Peacekeeper, only to his dismay, be beaten to the punch.

"What do you want, Warden?" She sighed, her gaze still set on the horizon.

Hector hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words to say, words that would spare him making a fool of himself.

"Well, you skipped training again, Lord Daubeny has summoned you to address the matter, or something along those lines, he didn't really specify, but he didn't sound happy about it." He finished with a light sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Amelia didn't respond with words, instead she began descending from her perch, and faced Hector with an empty expression. She was shorter and donned far lighter armour than the Warden, that didn't mean she couldn't be intimidating when she wanted to be.

"Training..." She said softly, as she began glancing around at the floor around her.

Hector was a little confused and felt somewhat belittled by the young assassin standing before him, though got away with concealing his expression behind his visor, which hid all but the shadows of his eyes. Before he could say anything else, like a blur, Amelia used her feet to propel her dagger into her right hand, and held it to Hectors throat, applying light pressure to the chainmail that covered it.

"What are you-!?" He shrieked, resting a hand on the pommel of his sword.

"What exactly are you training for?" She asked in an inexplicably clam manner, tilting her head, still expressionless.

"What do you-?" He stumbled on his words, which only embarrassed him more, he couldn't find the words to form a straight answer, in a sense, he agreed with where she was coming from, and where she was going with this. There was no conflict to train for, word of the ever-growing Blackstone Legion was spreading, but the distance between their fortress and the keep he was currently stationed in allowed any mention of the Blackstones being a potential threat to be immediately dismissed.

"As I thought" she said, in a low, inarticulate tone.

She sheathed her dagger in a leather scabbard on the back of her belt, following that, she retrieved her sword, and holstered it in some straps on her back, that under regular use, should have just been used to keep her pauldrons from slipping off her shoulders in any spurs of any moments.

"If our _beloved_ lord has summoned me, how could I _possibly_ refuse to grant him an audience?" She said, clearly emphasising the lack of love she felt for her liege.  
Shortly after, she passed Hector, who was still in shock from the events that just unfolded.

"Where is he?" Amelia asked, not sparing the effort to face him.

"The Ring, of course." Hector sighed, "It's better not to test him, Rose."

She heard his advice, and immediately dismissed it, as she began her pilgrimage from the front gate to the back-end of the ageing keep, all the while, disturbed by the thought of her newly assigned nickname. Rose, was the closest thing the men and women surrounding Amelia had to a name for her, as she never cared to tell anyone her true name, as a matter of fact, Rose wasn't her choice either, it was only picked up and spread recently by a group of grunts, who decided it suited her because of the her taste in fashion. Following the assignment of the nickname the grunts made the mistake of being the first to address her by the name directly, which resulted in a few broken noses, that the group certainly didn't account for. Despite that, use of the name had become more regular, and eventually the Peacekeeper accepted that she wasn't going to live it down without exposing her true identity to them, or that there were now simply too many noses to break.

Despite her distaste for her lord, Amelia still somewhat respected the oaths she took as a Peacekeeper, which meant as long as she was under contract to him, she had to obey his orders, or at the very least, _most_ of them. She regularly skipped out on morning routines and duties, such, public affairs, were of little interest to her. Being summoned by name wasn't a regular occurrence, but it had happened in the past, although, this was the first time Hector had been sent to retrieve her, perhaps he expected reluctance... she didn't blame him. She soon disregarded the thought, as she continued her walk down the open air corridor, occasionally sparing a glance to watch the sun as it began to set.

Amelia soon arrived at the far side of the keep, welcomed by the shouting and cursing of a small mob, who were spectating a duel between two well-built, albeit half naked warriors, both wielding a Trident and Buckler.

"Keep going! You can rest in your graves!" A familiar voiced sounded, the voice of the lax lord, ruling over an arena of drunkards and grunts.

She approached the makeshift throne her lord was slouching in, almost completely unnoticed had a captain not looked her way as he delivered a casket of ale to Daubeny's side. He sat forward, gestured toward the Peacekeeper, granting her permission to approach him.

"You summoned me, my lord?" She said with little effort to hide her disdain for him.

"Come now dear Rose, who do you think will win? Marus, on the left, or Curo, on the right?" He pointed to each as he addressed them.

Amelia observed the stances of the two, Curo held his Trident in his right hand, and had the three tips pointing towards the ground, he planned on using heavier overhead attacks, that much was obvious, and based on the stature of his opponent, rather clever. A shorter grip on his weapon also allowed for more control and speed when he was attacking. As for his buckler, he held it in his offhand, holding it up to his upper chest, almost as if he planned on using the small shield as an offhand weapon, rather than a means to defend himself. Marus on the other hand held his trident in two hands, with his buckler strapped to his left forearm, just beyond the wrist, to act as more of a defensive instrument than a tool in counterattacking, also quite clever. The creativity the two were portraying was beyond what she would have expected to see from such undisciplined fighters. That aside, she had to make a choice, or risk disappointing her _esteemed_ lord.

Amelia softly let her eyes drift shut, upon doing so, Daubeny, urged by his eagerness to receive an answer, leaned out of his shoddy throne to check on the Peacekeeper, who had been silent for the past few moments. Once he noticed what she was doing, he could only smile behind his helmet, simply because she was actually making an effort to indulge him for a change. He soon sat back in his throne, signalling the captain beside him to poor him a mug of ale, which he soon removed his helmet to enjoy. In doing so revealed a blonde, middle aged man, with a small gash across his right cheek, which many claimed is self inflicted as no one has ever actually seen the lord raise a sword against a noteworthy opponent.

After several moments, the commotion from the crowd faded, and the fighting and taunting from the warriors in the ring slowed down.

" _Primi Motoris?_ " She muttered to herself, though by the time she'd finished, the answer was as clear as day to her.

The grunts and men-at-arms surrounding the ring began once again shouting and cheering, and the fighters assumed their preferred stances, preparing for the defining moment in their duel.

"Marus." She proclaimed, in response to which Daubeny almost choked on his ale.

"You disappoint me, assassin." The blonde, middle aged man chuckled. "Marus is a coward! Curo has had him on the defensive the entire time."

"Exactly." Amelia quickly snapped back at the lord, though he didn't react or respond, he simply disregarded the attitude of his subordinate and turned his gaze back towards the duel.

The two continued to circle each other, neither wanted to make the next move, but the weight of their lord's gaze demanded that action be taken.

"What are you waiting for Curo!? Slay the coward!" Daubeny howled.

Upon hearing the demand, Curo growled, cast aside his buckler, and grabbed his trident with his now spare left hand and followed the notion by pulling the weapon back over his shoulder, and committed his full upper body strength to a powerful thrust towards Marus, who to Curo's dismay, was more than ready to defend himself. Marus raised his left arm and advanced forward, deflecting his opponents blow, taking advantage of his opponents over-aggression, he thrust his trident into Curo's bare stomach.

Marus held the posture for several moments, before removing the now lifeless body from the end of his weapon. He stood up straight and faced his confounded audience. Amelia withheld her smile, though she couldn't help but let a slight smirk slip.

"C-coward!" Daubeny barked.

The Peacekeeper's smirk soon shrunk to a frown, as she directed her gaze away from the triumphant warrior, and onto the clearly upset lord, now bent over, covering his face with his hands.

"Sir Adams... Your bow, if you'd please." Daubeny murmured, clearly consumed by outrage caused by the unexpected turn the duel took.

The captain beside him recoiled at the sound of the request.

"My lord, you can not mean to-"

"SILENCE!" The furious lord screamed.

He snatched the bow from it's resting place beside the captain, and began nocking an arrow.  
Marus had no cover, nor did he deserve a fate such as this, Amelia was aware of such.  
Daubeny stood tall, towering among the dead silent group of soldiers surrounding him, proceeding to take aim at the exposed warrior, a short distance shot, there was no doubt, the Gladiator's life was sealed.  
The lord let loose his nocked arrow, closing his eyes as the arrow left it's resting place, what followed, was not the screams of agony Daubeny longed to hear, but instead, a most unexpected intervention.

* * *

 **Translation - Primi Motoris? - Who moves first?**

 **Most foreign language will be displayed in italics, and most likely written in English so you don't have to skim through looking for a translation.**

 **Anyway, what'd you think? Did I do good? Already got a draft ready for chapter two, very excited to see where I can take this :}**

 **Ratings and Reviews are more than welcome, I plan to read and respond to every one unless such is unwarranted.**

 **In any case, thanks for giving my story a chance!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Despot's Folly

**Hello Once Again!**

 **This is the second chapter of my story, rest assured, all chapters including this one will be longer than Chapter 1, I just wanted to keep it relatively brief to set the stage and scene for the following chapters.**

 **First, I'd like to say thank you Austin and NOTRandy for the reviews! As for the questions and points raised, I'll do my best to address them here before I continue.**

 **First, yes! I forgot to mention it in my previous author notes, Amelia is wearing the newly released Pensive Rose armour set, her general appearance matches the set also, hope this helps her character be a bit easier to visualise.**

 **The inclusion of The Ring, I sort of just used it as a tool to help build Daubeny's character, and it doesn't _have_ to be The Ring from the game, could be a lot of rings in the world, you don't know… **

**As for the fate of Marus, well... do I have to tell you to read ahead if you're already heeeere? :D**

 **When it comes to including different factions and points of view, I'm not so sure yet, it wasn't my original plan, but I'll keep it in mind.**

 **DLC Characters will be included, as you can already tell by the Gladiator mirror match we just got, though I'm not going to be shoehorning them in, I'll only add them if they fit the story or scenario.**

 **To answer your question about lore for the previously mentioned characters, yes, Gladiator's kind of speak for themselves, and I did already have some ideas for our other _beloved_ DLC Knight. **

**As for relationships, if any, they won't be as forward as they are in say, Warden's Oath. While I enjoy a good romance, whether it will work with the character development I have planned for Amelia, I'm not sure.**

 **Anyway, I've gone on long enough! Hope you enjoy Chapter 2!**

The arena was still and the audience unsurprisingly quiet, likely due to what they just witnessed and what would follow. Amelia remained still, trying to process what had just happened, such an act of defiance, committed by not only a loyal soldier, but, a Warden?

Daubeny opened his eyes, confused by the lack of commotion caused by what he just did. A few metres in front of him, stood a Warden donning silver partial plate armour, holding out a painted wooden shield, which to the _great_ lord's dismay, had an arrow piercing its centre.

"Hector!?" Amelia found it hard to hide her surprise, she didn't expect this at all, or at least, that's what she aimed to make the naive lord to believe.

"What is the meaning of this, Warden!?" The lord beckoned.

Hector disregarded the lord's question, instead turning his head to speak to the man he had just saved, who at this point was still clambering to his feet after seeking cover from the incoming projectile.

"You're alright?" Hector whispered, keeping his shield arm extended in case the lord planned to try anything else.

Marus nodded. "Thank you, Warden." Hector returned the gesture and turned to face his liege.

"The duel was over, this man, victorious." He said, addressing not only the lord, but his anxious subordinates as well. "Great Lord Daubeny, as a fellow Warden, you swore your oaths in of honour, and proper justice, do you condone your actions here as honourable, or justified?" He asked, before handing the shield back to the man-at-arms he "borrowed" it from.

"Y-You dare question my honour!?" Daubeny stuttered, "That man is a coward!"

"Prudent, more like." Amelia muttered, thinking out loud.

"I demand that you show these men the promise you took as a Warden, accept this act as it is! Dishonourable and Unjust. An act that will at the very least tarnish your name as Lord Warden over this keep!" His tone more assertive than before, revealing a clear lack of patience for his lord at this moment in time. "I, Hector, faithful servant to Our Lady of Serenity, demand repentance! What say you, _lord?"_

Daubeny staggered at the knight's words, Amelia couldn't help but smile as the lord struggled to respond to Hector's words. "You dare question my honour? Demand my repentance!? Letting that man live is the greatest sin, and any true Warden should recognize that letting his cowardice spread is an to insult to our fair lady!" Daubeny rose from his throne, clenching his fists and breathing rapidly in frustrated.

"This is my promise!" Hector reached to his belt, and held up a black pendant with a longsword wielding angel engraved in it's center. "This is proof of the oaths I swore as a Warden, everything I live and fight for is in this pendant. So I ask Lord Daubeny, would you not show us yours!?"

He couldn't. Daubeny had cast aside his pendant in a recent play for power, leaving him at this moment in time, wide open to the accusations this bold Warden was throwing at him.

"Enough of this!" Daubeny beckoned. "Captain, disarm this man, and take him in the dungeons!"

Captain Adams was shocked to hear his lord address him at this time, but knew it couldn't be helped. He signaled his fellow captains standing behind him, and though quite nervous, they began approaching the Warden, who's hand had moved to rest on the hilt of his longsword, which was resting in it's scabbard on his back.

"They won't win." Amelia snapped, "Infighting isn't the answer, morale will plummet when news of this spreads.

"Have more faith in your fellow soldiers, Peacekeeper, this man has betrayed me, such actions must be punished." He pointed to the Warden, who was close to being surrounded by the soldiers that had been set on him.

She could only sigh when met with a response like that. A traitor? Please. She knew now clear as day, this lord was the traitor. Unjust would be the perfect way to describe the events currently taking place before her, but she decided to let the situation escalate, if the idea was to expose the lord and his cowardice, they would need to be anything but rash in this situation. An interesting strategy to say the very least, but it was the only remotely sensible course of action to take, as a revolt or desertion would more than likely lead to unnecessary bloodshed.

"So, you are truly lost." Hector murmured, he took a step forward and removed his helmet only to cast it aside moments later.

"I will surrender, for the sake of these men who do not deserve to die, and for the sake of the warrior standing behind me!"

Marus was tense, keeping a firm hold on his Trident.

"You would give your life up for a man you do not even know so easily?" Daubeny asked, receiving only a stern nod from the knight standing before him.

"What makes you think you are in the position to barter for his life?" Daubeny's questioning continued.

Hector held his pendant to his heart, "I am a Warden, I have devoted my life to defending those in need, so did you, once." His tone grew soft.

"I am but a humble servant, I have no authority beyond the oaths I have sworn to shield the innocent from the cruel injustice of this world. I would happily trade my life for his, whether it is called for, or not."

Hector was losing ground, which wasn't necessarily a _bad_ thing, but the lord needed a push, if action was not taken, bloodshed was inevitable.

"My lord." She knelt before Daubeny.

"Speak." His tone reeked of impatience, he was clearly growing bored of Hector's defiance.

"The Warden's demand is fair, a life-for-a-life, beyond that, accepting his terms will show these men that you are not an unjust lord, but truly the opposite." His interest was piqued.

"Punish he who would defy your name and tradition and spare the warrior that fought for those very things just moments ago." He was still listening intently, the trap was set, he couldn't have known, deceit was one of her many talents, and this lord likely would fall victim to it before long.

"Your men will honour such mercy, and surely take your side in this conflict."

They wouldn't.

The doubt in their eyes was clear as day, a Warden that cannot stay true to his or her promise, is no Warden at all.

The lord thought on the cunning Peacekeepers words for several moments, before he made his final mistake.

"A sound strategy dearest Rose, I knew I kept you around for something!" She could hear him smiling behind his helmet's visor, little did he know that in doing so, he had sprung the trap.

He hastily rose and approached Hector, soon standing face to face with him.

"Very well Warden, after consulting with my advisor in this situation, I will accept your terms in honour of the bravery you have shown us all by throwing your life away for this stranger. He turned and returned to the comfort of his throne. "Relinquish your arms, and surrender yourself to my household guard, immediately." He growled.

Fulfilling his promise, Hector unfastened the buckle keeping his scabbard on his back, following that, he lay his sheathed sword to rest on the ground before him.

Daubeny scoffed, then called upon Adams once again to retrieve the sword.

The weight of the weapon clearly took its toll on the poor as he had to carry it with both hands, even then seemingly struggling.

"Take him." The lord said lazily, slouching back in his chair of stone.

Once again following their lord's order, the captains who previously sought to oppose the Warden sheathed their weapons and began escorting him out of the arena grounds.

"Very well, it seems your life is to be spared, Gladiator." Daubeny announced, much to the warrior's surprise.

"I-I can go?" Marus questioned the lord, still confused by the turn of events.

"Soon, yes." Daubeny answered almost immediately, as if he'd predicted that Marus would ask such a question.

"Soo , my lord?" Marus grew increasingly confused.

"It is late, is it not? And you are wounded, warrior, what kind of host would I be to not offer you the arts of our great healers? The malice in his tone was now clear as day, even a brute like Marus could notice it at this point.

"Very well, my lord." Marus said hesitantly. "Though these wounds wouldn't have been inflictd if the original terms for this duel had been honoured."

Before Daubeny could respond, Amelia chose to put an end to the exchange, for the sake of both parties.

"With my lord's permission, I will show you the way to the apothecary." The Peacekeeper stepped forward, awaiting her lord's approval.

"As you wish." Daubeny sighed, pouring himself another mug of ale.

Amelia approached the arena and unlocked the small steel gate at the front of it, allowing Marus the freedom he was beginning to long for. He stood beside Amelia, giving her the signal to lead the way, which she presumably acknowledged, as she began walking away from the arena grounds, and into the keep's main structure.

Amelia was silent as she navigated the dimly lit corridors with Marius in tow. The sun had long since set, and a blanket of fog set in to snuff out any remnants of light in the world. Marus was still partially in shock, but was distracted by thoughts of concern for the stranger that saved his life, he who trader places with him, surrending his freedom for Marus' passage.

The pair had been walking for a short while, "Are we almost there? Sure you're not lost?" The Gladiator whispered, met only by silence in response, a _truly_ lethal weapon; one this Peacekeeper wielded like a form of art, the world around her, her canvas.

Moments later, they reached the end of a long corridor, deep within the keep's inner structure, it was pitch black, the only light in sight was escaping beneath the several doors they had passed on the journey here, at this point Marus' eyes had more than adjusted to the darkness. Before breaking the silence, Amelia placed her hand on an insignia of an owl carved into the wooden door that stood before them.

"The apothecary's name is Galen, tell him Rose sent you."

Before the Gladiator could find the words to respond, the Peacekeeper had gone, the sound of her footsteps faded before long, leaving Marus alone in the dark, dazed and confused. Moments later, he took it upon himself to clench his fist, and knock on the door, which to his dismay, wasn't nearly as secure in it's hinges as he had expected. With an awkward creak and a swift collapse, the door found itself flat on it's back and resting on the cold stone floor. Marus began scrambling to fix his mistake, but was interrupted by the voice of an elderly-sounding man, sitting at a table in the corner of the room.

"Leave it lad, that door's as old as I am."

Marus rose, conceding his battle with the door and it's busted hinges.

"Galen, I assume?" The man nodded, a curious look on his face. "Um, Rose sent me." Marus said, composing himself.

Galen's eyes widened for a moment, after seemingly collecting himself, he broke what had turned into a rather awkward several moments of silence.

"Rose you say... Fascinating." He rose from his seat at the table and slowly approached Marus. "You don't look like much. Your name, warrior?"

"Marus, sir." The Gladiator responded.

"Just Marus, no family name or title?" Galen said, his tone was bursting with curiosity.

"Nought but the name my old master gave me, sir."

The Apothecary nodded and let a slight smile slip; there was nothing he appreciated more than honesty, and Marus reeked of it.

"You're wounded?" Galen asked, spotting a number of grazes and gashes scattered across the Gladiator's body.

"A few cuts and bruises, nothing too serious." Marus' words were accompanied by a proud smile, one that Galen snatched right back from him.

"So it seems, your opponent was not so lucky, I assume?" The apothecary asked as he began dressing the Gladiator's wounds.

Marus' prideful expression cracked upon hearing him mention Curo, he hadn't even thought about it until now.

"The fight was supposed to be to first blood, nothing more, but Lord Daubeny cursed my name and cried for blood, I had no choice but to defend myself." He was almost overcome with guilt, but it was as he said, he had no choice.

"Ever iniquitous, our lord." Galen said, as he finished dressing the last of Marus' noteworthy wounds.

"I'm sorry?" Marus was at the very least surprised at how blunt the elderly man was when addressing his lord.

"Did I stutter? The man is a fool, and it will surely be his downfall." Galen's words carried a degree of mercilessness with them, revealing an entirely different persona to the one Marus had been met with.

Marus took a seat on one of the few cots in the room and removed his helmet, in doing so revealing the face of one far younger than he who stood before him. He rubbed his shaved head and proceeded to brush his hand down the side of his face, scratching his sharp stubble before resting his head in the same hand.

"The man is a fool..." Galen spoke up, sounding much calmer this time. "It is why you are alive."

Marus looked up in confusion, failing to see the meaning behind Galen's words.

"I'm alive because of that Warden, Hector, I think was his name." Galen shook his head at the comment, leaving Marus perplexed, at the very least.

"You are alive because Daubeny wants you dead." The apothecary parked himself on the cot across from Marus. "Daubeny was a fool to accept Hector's terms, though I doubt he would have done so without the intervention of a certain Peacekeeper."

It took Marus a few seconds to process what he had just heard, but it made sense.

"I was a pawn, then?"

Galen laughed at the remark. "If that's how you want to look at it, if anything, you're just lucky."

He opened an end table beside the cot he sat on and retrieved a black pendant from it's to drawer.

"This is Lord Hervis Daubeny's oath as a Warden, cast aside like loose junk. I retrieved it from the aftermath of a small skirmish he led against a Blackstone emissary and his escort a few weeks ago, before I continue, I wish to correct myself in the use of the word small, as we both know, the lord in question is not an honourable man; He led a force that outnumbered his target five-to-one, so of course, the defending troops stood no chance, bless their souls." Galen placed the pendant back where he found it, and walked over to a window, on the opposite side of the room.

"He sought to leave his pendant, along with his house banner behind as a warning to Blackstones. His plan was to claim the escort was killed in self-defence and that it was his oaths as a Warden that allowed him to take such action, but with only his house sigil left there, it would have appeared more as him simply taking credit for the murder of those men."

Marus was listening intently, but he still had questions.

"Still, how does this involve me?"

"Daubeny is not a lord, but commands equal authority, too much for any warrior to directly confront him, on top of that, he is officially no longer a Warden, whereas Hector is, the same way Rose is a Peacekeeper; Both serve an order higher than Daubeny's mercenary brigade, and such orders will not allow him to continue in his current state. Today's actions of our true Warden, and our Peacekeeper were a means to further disfigure the image of the lord, so that when a legion is finally sent to relieve him of his force and command, less men will rally to his lost cause. So, to answer your question Marus, you were the key to something much, much bigger than you and I."

Marus didn't respond, as he was still going over what he was just told in his head, but Galen didn't give him much time to do so before he spoke again.

"I sense the next days will be eventful to say the least, you may rest here for now warrior, if you should seek food or drink, there is a kitchen if you follow the hallway back to the intersection, and take a right. The servants here are good people, they will see to you there." Before Marus could thank him, Galen had already taken his leave from the room, leaving Marus with one final question.

"What is it these people, and leaving with such haste!?"

 ** _Deep into the night, in the keep's dungeons._**

Hector had been locked up for a few hours, the soldiers that brought him here made no great effort to treat him as a prisoner, he was still in his armour, after all. He had quickly grown bored, his suffering was a good cause though, which was enough to leave him satisfied.

He reached to his belt and retrieved his pendant, everything he stood for resided within this simple piece of jewellery, he brushed his thumb over the pattern that was deeply engraved within it, an angel holding a sword that was almost identical to his,

"Our Lady of Serenity." He whispered, "I pray that you shall soon see me worthy of the higher purpose I was destined to serve."

Following the short prayer, Hector hung the pendant from his neck, and fell victim to the sweet embrace of the night.

 **Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **This was tough to write, not gonna lie!**

 **Sorry it took so long, rewrote a lot of it quite a few times, just gave in, in the end. Regardless of all that, I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Next chapter should be up by Friday, Saturday at the latest, going to enjoy writing as things build up to our first encounter with the Blackstone Legion!**

 **All reviews are appreciated, and will be responded to either directly, or in the A/N of the next chapter, thank you for the kind words and support so far, and thank you NIKO (JEEZ) for pointing out alllll of my grammatical errors and plebinessssss :D**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Calm

**We're back! Sorry for the late upload, kept getting sidetracked with other spoopy stuff, won't happen again! (I hope o-o)**

 **SUPER SIDE NOTE - THIS IS PART 1 OF 2, PART 2 WILL HOPEFULLY BE UPLOADED LATER TODAY OR EARLY TOMORROW, JUST WANTED TO GET THIS OUT TO**

 **A. Made sure I didn't break my promise for Saturday being the latest I'd upload something 3**

 **B. Build suspense! DUH.**

 **Question answering tiiiime!**

 **So, references, _probably._ Can't say much more as I have no plans to right now, but I'm certain that in the 25-30 chapters I plan on doing, something will come up. Just note that I won't be going full fantasy and turning into a Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones crossover, if there are any references at all, they will likely be quite subtle and just little nods to other series etc.**

 **Maps, maybe! There are a few obvious ones like Citadel Gate and The Shard that will pop up, I can't really give a definitive answer for any others, but that doesn't mean they won't be referenced or seen.**

 **As I said, probably not with the whole supernatural thing, but I may include the celebration of the events you mentioned, obviously with less ghosts and ghouls. The eruption of Mt. Ignis is something I've been thinking on, but haven't really made my mind up with yet.**

 **As for other factions, I think it's cool that Knight of Ember did that, and I'll have to check out his material in which he did. But if I'm introducing more factions, they're going to be more aligned with the lore of the game... Maybe some nods to a seperate Roman faction... *hint hint***

 **Any future crossovers? You'll have to elaborate on that one for me :}**

 **Aaaaand that's that! Thank you again for your feedback and suggestions Austin, I really do appreciate it.**

 **And well, I hope you enjoy these next chapters, I've been really excited to write them!**

* * *

 _The next morning, after a sleepless night for an anxious Peacekeeper._

Dawn. Amelia had not slept, she couldn't. Surely a relief legion would be upon them soon, and the events of the previous evening were the last preperations she and Hector could make for their arrival, would it be enough? Exposing the lord's false claim to rule, his broken promise, his _true_ cowardice? There weren't many witnesses, but soldiers talk, and word had surely already spread, it's what those men and women would do with them that mattered most. Outright revolution or mutiny wouldn't go well, too much bloodshed and confusion.  
The seed of doubt was there, and it would stay, and every now and then it would send out a little root.  
In wake of such The air around the keep had changed just by having that seed growing. Soon, a grim and earie atmosphere had made it's bed in the keep's grounds, drowning out the usual morning comottion. The keep was still, silent, the only exception being a couple of guards on their morning rounds.

Amelia was in her usual spot atop the catapult on the front wall and as usual her gaze was set on the horizon, though to her dissapointment it was still shrouded by the fog that had recently found a home in the area in and around the keep; the fog didn't bother her too much though, it would obscure her vision of the rising sun, which certainly warranted a curse or two.  
The Peacekeeper soon averted her gaze from what was distant, and began inspecting the area surrounding the nameless keep, woods and general foliage mostly, not much to look at. She continued scanning treeline for a while, out of boredom more than anything. Nothing more than falling leaves and rustling leaves, probably caused by the smaller wildlife living in the area.  
The fog tried it's very hardest to limit Amelia's vision but it wasn't enough, the eyes of this Peacekeeper were matched only by those of an eagle, or an owl, barely anything escaped her, most certainly not the man in black partial plate, who had just unintentionally found himself in her line of sight.

"Blackstone." She smiled and quickly dismounted the siege weapon and began to make her way to the decommissioned postern gate. Such would allow her to leave without causing any commotion.  
Once she made it to the bottom of the staircase within the forefront bastion, she weaved in and out between several stacks of crates which soon revealed what they were hiding, a well built door, with metal reinforcements lined within it's inner structure.  
She quickly and quietly opened the door, revealing a small ledge, beyond it was a sheer drop. The ground on this side of the keep had shifted in wake of the cataclysm, honestly, it was a miracle this half of the keep didn't go with it. The narrow pathway forced Amelia to walk sideways with her back to the wall, this was hardly new to her as she had made this journey several times in the past and before long she was back on solid ground. She didn't feel the need to conceal herself as she strode away from the keep, the fog would mask her movement, and the guards patrolling the walls were nothing compared to Amelia when it came to visual perception.

The Peacekeeper slowed her movements, but made no effort to hide herself, she meant no ill-will, and this man was not her enemy.  
As she shortened the distance between herself and the lone Warden, she noticed that he was not nearly as alone as she had thought, there were several small groups of soldiers in Blackstone colours throughout the woods. Before long, she made the deduction that this Warden was mearly an emmisary or a scout.  
She felt no need to distance herself from him any longer, it was clear that the relief force she and Hector had longed for was finally upon them.

"Warden." Amelia spoke up from behind a tree, a mere few feet from the where the Warden was standing.  
As expected, this startled him. The Warden drew his longsword from his back, holding it with both hands, but resting the blade on his left arm's outstreched elbow.

"Who goes there?" The Warden snapped, his voice was deep and gravelly, it certainly suited his appearance - His plate armour was black as knight, complemented by accents of orange on his tabard and mask. Upon closer inspection, Amelia could make out an engraving in his mask, a skull? It was hard to see at this distance due to his armours Black Iron material.

"A friend, I assure you. Could you kindly sheath your weapon? It is, _most_ intimidating." The Peacekeeper was trying to withhold her sarcasm, but she knew this request was more for his sake than anything.

"I will do so under the condition that you show yourself, _friend."_ A fair request from the Warden, one that Amelia accepted mere seconds later, he had nothing to fear from her, and hoped it was vice versa.  
"A Peacekeeper? Here? Why?" The knight stammered.

She didn't respond, this was not the time for idle chatter.  
"Where is your commander, Warden? I must speak with him."

He straightened up and sheathed his weapon. "At this moment in time, I am acting commander of this advance force, Warden Ademar, second to Commander Holden Cross."  
She staggered upon hearing the name.

"Holden Cross? Why would one so significant to your legion be sent to deal with a petty lord?" She thought out loud, trying to make sense of what she just heard.  
Holden Cross was a legendary commander and Lawbringer, his name carried weight across all Ashfeld, the fact that he was coming here? A nameless keep at the edge of the world? Why?

The Warden tilted his head, confused by the Peacekeeper's excessive pacing and mumbling.  
"We were on our way to provide relief for an Iron Legion force under siege by Warborn, we received word that a treasonous lord was nearby, and that the High Order had called for his head. Commander Cross felt that the lord should be dealt with beforehand, seeking to absorb any remaining soldiers into the legion to provide aid in our campaign against the Warborn." The Warden explained.

Amelia hung on his words for several moments. Absorb? It made sense, and the actions committed by herself and Hector meant that she had essentially set him up for total success in that regard.  
"Where is Lord Holden now?" She asked, her tone laced with a hint of sudden impatience.

"He will arrive with the core of our force by Dusk, though he hopes to avoid conflict." The Warden shook his head. Before I say any more, I can only assume that you serve the lord that resides here?" He tightened the grip his hilt, he had no solid reason not to, the exchange of information so far had been one-sided, to say the least.

"I suppose I am, officially." She heard the Warden growl beneath his visor. "But I am not loyal to him, nor are the majority of the troops under his command. Jump to your conclusions if you will, slay me, if you feel such is neccesary, but know that I hold no ill will against you, or your legion. Your arrival has been long anticipated by myself, and another, a Warden by the name of Hector, who was recently imprisoned by the lord in command here, Hervis Daubeny." Amelia's words carried a most unexpected amount of sincerity with them but, she felt such was required to earn this Warden's trust.

"Daubeny? That old bastard is still alive?" Ademar sighed and loosened the grip on his sword. "I will send word to Lord Holden to ride ahead of our force, assuming what you say is true, I doubt a full-scale assault will be necessary. I appreciate the sincerity in your words and actions, Peacekeeper."

Amelia only nodded before turning her back to the knight.  
"The board is set, all that remains is to ensure that the pieces remain in place, I will see to such while you make your preparations."  
Showing little regard for a response from the Warden, she said no more and began her return journey to the keep.

Every one of her words was dipped in venom whether intended or not.  
It gave even Ademar chills, who was not just a Warden, but was second only to one of the most renowned names in the entire kingdom.  
He continued to stand in awe for a while, before taking leave himself, he had work to do.

* * *

 **Once again, sorry for length, but this Part 1 of 2!**

 **I hope I don't dissapoint too many by doing this... as I said above, I just didn't want to miss an upload today.**

 **Also, editing and proof-reading a smaller document like this is much quicker and easier for me, which means I can spend more time working on Part 2, which is going to be preeeeeetty awesome! (Not to toot my own horn or anything.)**

 **I'm sure it'll subvert a few expectations, I did say I was only _loosely_ following the original story, after all!**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Storm

**I'll start by apologising for the late upload.**

 **First, around halfway through, the document refreshed and I hadn't saved, sooooo you can probably guess how I took that.  
** **I'll continue by saying no more specified upload times from meee, I suck at trying to meet those deadlines, the result of my suckiness is/will be shorter or half-baked chapters, and I just don't want to do things that way sooooo, I'll say that each new chapter will arrive between 1-5 days, depending on life and other stuff.**

 **Aaaand beyond that, question answer tiiiiime, but first!  
 _AUSTIN. MAKE AN ACCOUNT. GAHH.  
_ Your reviews would be easier to respond to if you did! And the one you left on my last chapter isn't appearing anywhere but my email, and even then it's been "truncated due to length". **

**So, in wake of that, I'll answer what I can from what I can see. For those who aren't really interested in this, I hope you enjoy the chapter! :}**

 **Nowww onto the _-_ _Let's not give too much away, mkay?_ \- Section!**

 **I can't really give a straight answer to your Centurion question, just remember that I said I was only loosely following the story of For Honor, which leaves a lot of doors open for different classes of fighters showing up - but I won't be straying far from the established lore.**  
 **It's hard to explain so I'm going to stop trying, if it didn't make sense, sorry! You'll juuust have to wait and seeeee x}**

 **You can ask allll you want about the fates of certain characters, but you won't get a straight answer from me heeeere!**

 **The last thing I can respond to on this little email is about my plans for future stories and crossovers...  
** **I might! But I probably won't until I've ended this series.  
** **Also, while the ideas for How to Train Your Dragon are... interesting? It's not my thing. If I were to do any fantasy crossovers etc. they'd probably be set around other series or games, like Dark Souls orrr I don't know, Game of Thrones? o-o  
** **All in all, right now I have no plans for future stories, but I'll defo be writing more than just this.**

 **And so once again, we reach the end of my mindless bumbling. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I know I did! (Not biased at all, smh.)**

* * *

 _Several hours after the fortuitous meeting of Amelia and Ademar, in a tent deep within the Blackstone Legion's makeshift encampment._

"The force occupying the fort is under the command of the coward Hervis Daubeny and mostly consists of mercenaries and simple servants, besides our obvious exceptions the Peacekeeper and anyone working with her." Ademar was leaning over a table with a map of the local area sketched onto it.

"You've invested a great deal of trust in this stranger, Ademar." A large man stepped forward to the table. Holden Cross. He was in full plate, carrying his helmet in one hand and his poleaxe in the other.

"I have, my lord." Ademar responded.

"Do you think such is wise? Especially if she is serving under Lord Daubeny's rule." Cross lay his helmet on the table and observed the map before him.

"Perhaps not wise, but I stand by my decision to trust her regardless." Ademar's words carried a sense of purpose, Holden could not determine why, but he trusted the word of his friend and second-in-command.

"Very well." He traced the map with his finger. "A fort like that, in a place like this, could easily withstand a drawn out siege if they had the resources. If what your Peacekeeper has told you is true, and the morale of those defending this keep is faltering, we must begin our assault before they decide to take matters into their own hands." Holden picked his helmet up from the table and cradled it under his free arm.  
"We came out here for two things: troops, and that lord. If we tarry for too long, his mercenaries may revolt or desert, desertion may play in our favour but..." Holden stopped.

"A revolt means one less army." Ademar spoke up. "And one less lord."

"Indeed." Cross growled.  
"We'll need to leave immediately if we are to prevent such from happening, gather our captains and engineers, we must prepare to march on the keep at once.

Ademar didn't need to say anything more, he understood his orders as clear as day. He simply nodded and set out to complete his assigned orders.

Holden watched Ademar leave, soon directing his gaze back to the map that lay before him. For one Peacekeeper to have played such a vital part in this assault, on her own accord?

"If it's wolves she wants..." The Lawbringer mumbled to himself. "We may have an alpha on our hands..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Amelia was in her perch with her legs crossed, as usual. Though this time, she was not gazing at the horizon or scenery or wildlife, no, this time her gaze lay upon several hundred Blackstone soldiers organising themselves into rank and file beneath her.  
She could only smile. "Finally." She whispered.

Once the Blackstones had finished organising themselves, a large, ironclad warrior stepped forward, a familiar looking Warden in tow. Amelia was right to assume that this man was non other than Holden Cross, his pauldrons were moulded into the faces of lions, that was her main lead. A lion among wolves, quite an usual combination, but the force he commanded was proof enough that he'd earned his place among the pack.

Before long Daubeny joined the frightened troops on the wall, leaning over the front of the bastion to get a good look at the army that was about to lay siege to his keep.

"Hervis Daubeny! Come out and surrender! Save your men!" Cross beckoned, everything about him commanded respect, even in this position he offered the coward an out, rather than just outright assaulting the keep.

Amelia looked to the lord from the corner of her eye.

Daubeny backed away from the wall and rest his arm on the shoulder of a familiar face, Captain Adams.

"Keep them off the walls, do that much and the dogs will have no choice but to face us on even ground, captain!"  
This was a prime example of how useless he was a leader, he was so delusional that he actually believed this would be a fight, pitiful.

After giving the equally delusional Captain Adams that order, he made his way down to the courtyard where he was met by only a small percentage of his overall force.

"Where are the rest of our soldiers!?" Daubeny barked to a grunt unfortunate enough to be standing closest to the lord.

"I-Inside, sir... in the keep's main hall."

"WHAT!?" The lord howled, causing the young soldier standing before him to tremble in his boots.  
"No matter! You men are all we need to hold this courtyard! You brave men!"  
His attempt to inspire them was completely wasted, no man in this keep wanted to die for the lord, not really.

Amelia almost laughed at the sight of those who had gathered to fight.  
She lazilly sighed and began climbing down from her perch, cutting a rope key to the catapult's firing mechanism on her way down.

"Rose, what are you doing!?" Captain Adams screamed at the Peacekeeper.  
Her smile faded, as she turned to face the captain, her expression turned emotionless and cold, unlike those who around her who were either feeling brave, or afraid.

"Speeding up the process captain, to die here would be a pointless affair for both us and the Blackstones." Her voice was almost soothing, but the words she spoke were poison. She restored her smile, and with little care for the man standing in front of her, began walking towards the keep's inner structure.

"You're a damn traitor, Rose!" He shouted to her back, she didn't care. In her mind, he was a traitor for serving that buffoon.  
"Arrows men! Send these Blackstone bastards to their gods!"  
There were only around 15 men on the wall with him, but were too afraid to disobey his order and soon began firing at the troops below them.

Amelia sighed, she had her own agenda and slaying her comrades wasn't part of it.

"Sorry Blackstone." She muttered, entering the keep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Raise your shields! Close the gaps!" Ademar barked to the legion behind him, who didn't need telling twice.  
The Blackstone soldiers moved closer together and raised their shields above their heads, locking them together to form what was, figuratively speaking, an impenetrable shell.

"Daubeny! It doesn't have to be like this!" Holden howled, to no avail. He growled, frustrated by the lord's choice to make this difficult for them.

"My lord?" Ademar still stood beside him in the open, neither of them was really bothered by the incoming fire, the Peacekeeper told the truth, their force was at minimal strength.

"He isn't giving us a choice, break it down." Holden ordered Ademar, who then relayed it to the siege crews behind their forces.

"You men see that gate!? Break it down!" He called out the legion at his back, who responded with a hefty battlecry.

Once the order made it's way to the Blackstone's rear ranks, the soldiers there didn't hesistate to man the idle battering ram they had brought with them as a precaution.  
It was nothing compared to the mighty siege engines the Blackstones were used to using but the brass ram at it's head along with it's above average size would easily prove to be more than enough to breach the aged gate in front of them.  
Alongside the ram, soldiers began working in unison to advance some makeshift ladders to the wall to not only deal with the defending archers, but to gain better control over the keep itself.

"This is on your head, Daubeny! Surrender yourself, save your men!" Holden shouted once again, still trying to reason with the lord.

"It's no use sir, once we breach that gate, he'll answer for his crimes." Ademar said, handing the Lawbringer his helmet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Amelia made her way through several long and winding corridors until she was met with a large wooden door, echoes of commotion erupting from behind it.  
She placed both hands on both doors and forced her full weight into them until they were wide open and she was inside the main hall. The soldier was right, the rest of the men had gathered here, instead of fighting for Daubeny.  
She caught a few glares as she entered the room which was fair enough, she had played a significant role in imprisoning Hector, which was precisely why she was here.

"Rose, my dear." A familiar voice sounded from the end of the room, the man it belonged to soon stepped forward.

"Galen." The Peacekeeper's face lit up, she was never usually open about her feelings, but every man in this room would be fighting for Daubeny right now had he not played the role he did in this whole thing. He was also a bit of a father-figure for her, as she had never really been comfortable around her other comrades in the fort.

"These were all the men I could convince to stand aside, I'm sorry I couldn't do better my dear." Galen said, bestrucken with grief, for whatever reason.  
One look around the room told her that he had outdone himself, there were at least 200 men and women gathered here, which was pretty much Daubeny's entire force.

"Nonsense Galen, you've outdone yourself." She stepped away from Galen and jumped on the table closest to her. "Listen! The Blackstone Legion isn't here for blood, they've come for Daubeny, a coward who rules over you wielding nothing but broken promises and an iron fist, I say enough." Amelia felt sick, she wasn't a people person, inspiring speaches like this were way beyond her capabilities.

The soldiers in the room talked among themsevles for a while, but their presence here already made it quite clear what their final decision would be. Or so the Peacekeeper thought, completely thrown off when a soldier across the room also stood upon his table, but not for the same reasons she did.

"Don't you serve him? Aren't you the reason Hector is rotting in a cell right now?" The soldier's argument was sound. The attention of those present shifted back to Amelia.

"Nonsense! Ame-" Galen spoke up, but Amelia cut him off.

"Galen!" She exclaimed.

"Apologies, Rose." Galen backed down, his heart was in the right place, but she didn't need someone to speak for her.

"I am to have deceived you all." This obviously confused most everyone present. "Hector's imprisonment was a planned event, how it happened didn't matter, as long as Daubeny's true colours were exposed to you all." She took a breath, all eyes were on her, it made sense that she might be a little overwhelmed by it. "We had already sent word to the High Order based on the evidence we had that the lord was not fit to rule, Hectors imprisonment was simply to get their attention, and judging by the army of Blackstones currently at our door, our plan clearly worked." Gears were starting to turn.  
"There's more. I met with their Commander's second this morning, another Warden. He explained to me what the Blackstone Legion is here for, not to fight or enslave you, but to free you. They are here to end the Daubeny's false rule, nothing more."

The room was silent, and remained that way for a few moments longer, before the soldier that originally confronted her spoke up once again.

"So, Hector is in that cell, because of us? To help us see the light?"

Amelia nodded.

"Then we need to free him, right? If what he said before is true, and Daubeny broke his oaths, then he's the rightful lord of this keep!"

"There are no ifs." Galen spoke up, drawing the eyes of the audience to him as he raised Daubeny's promise high above his head, for all to see. "This is Daubeny's promise as a Warden, I retrieved it from the aftermath of his slaughtering of a Blackstone emissary, some weeks ago. He saught to use his oaths to claim the act was self-defence, it was at the moment I realised, we were all serving the wrong Lord."

"Then it's decided! Out with the false lord!" Another soldier raised his sword, followed by almost every other man and woman in the room doing the same.

"No." Amelia raised her voice again, much calmer this time. "Open revolution or rebellion isn't going to help. Let the Blackstones deal with Daubeny, there's no need for any of you to die."

"If we're not willing to die for our true lord, then we don't deserve to be free of our current one." The soldier spoke up again.  
These mercenaries sure were loyal when it came down to the wire, Amelia hadn't seen this side of them before now.

"Maybe you should ask Hector what he thinks about that before you run off and die for him." Another familiar voice sounded from behind Amelia, she spun around on the spot to see none other than Marus, the Gladiator that Hector had saved standing in the doorway of the hall. His timing was impeccable.

"I'm just saying, might wanna hear it from him before you do anything rash." Marus said, it was clear that the significance of this whole ordeal sort of escaped him, but that didn't matter in the end, the troops actually stopped to consider what he was saying, they seemed far more willing to listen Marus out than Amelia, which made sense to her, as he was a soldier of sorts, too.

"Hector's cell is protected by Lord Daubeny's household guard, we wouldn't stand a chance trying to free him." Another, female voice spoke up.

"Leave that to us." Marus smiled.

" _Us?"_ The soldier asked.

Amelia didn't need it spelled out for her, she knew he meant her.  
She was quick to hop off the table and head for the door, gesturing for Marus to follow her.

"We'll free Hector and meet you here, stay put!" Marus shouted as he began jogging to catch up the Amelia.

The soldiers were left confused, but soon admitted amongst themselves that freeing Hector first was a better strategy than acting on impulse and openly confronting their lord.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Peacekeeper navigated her way through the dark, shadowy corridors of the Keeps dungeons like some kind of dance, Marus could only try and keep up.  
The Gladiator chose to lag behind her a bit after they'd entered the dungeons, he'd decided that this was the better choice based on the fact that she'd already incapicitated two guards before he could even catch his breath from all the running it took to get here.

A bit further in the two came across a square cell in the center of a large open room, at the center of the cell was Hector, still fully armoured, helmet and all. Surrounding him were four officers, all had Daubeny's sigil on their tabards. It didn't take long for them to notice the pair and step forward.

"Halt Peacekeeper! Lord Daubeny gave us strict instructions not to let anyone interact with the Warden, state your business."

Amelia turned and nodded Marus, who understood the signal, clear as day, soon returning the gesture.

"We're releasing him, step aside." In anticipation for his refusal, she drew her knife from the back of her belt.

"I'm sorry, but Lord Dau-" He was almost immediately interrupted by the Peacekeeper's blade as it found it's way to his throat.  
Marus was surprised, there was a fair distance between them, but she still hit her target all the same. He shook his head and returned to the moment. One of the officers ran at him with his sword raised, Marus quickly jolted to his right and struck the soldier in the side of the head with his buckler, immediately taking advantage of his opponent's disorientation he thrust his trident into guard's chest.  
Marus pushed the guard off of his trident and stabbed his floored opponent in the throat. Once he'd finished his kill, he assumed his fighting stance expecting another fight, to his dismay, of course.  
Amelia pulled her dagger and the cell key from the body of the final guard, her sword still sheathed on her back.

"Took you long enough." Hector smiled, struggling to stand after sitting in his armour for so long.

"The Blackstone Legion is here." Amelia said as she and Marus helped the Warden to his feet.

"Are we fighting?" He asked.

"Partially, Daubeny and a small group, the majority are gathered in the main hall awaiting your arrival." Amelia was direct and wasted no time in finding the Warden his weapon, stashed in a crate in the corner of the room.

"It wasn't for nothing then? Good. Let's get moving."  
The three made their way back through the maze-like corridors, led by Amelia who as far as Hector was concerned, had never moved with such purpose.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Before long the Blackstone battering ram was docked at the gate, and those manning it had already let loose it's fury several times, the gate couldn't take much more punishment and would sure give way soon. Additionally, the troops mobilising the ladders had finally made it to the wall and had just finished planting them firmly in the ground.

"Ademar!" Holden called out to his second, who as always was quick to answer his lord's call.

"My Lord?" Ademar stood at attention, both of them still out in the open with even less care for the archers than before, non could blame them, they seemed fairly inexperienced as they were still only firing at the masses of shielded troops rather than those more exposed, such as the siege crews, or the officers.

"We need to reduce casualties, I want you on that wall and those archers to cease fire immediately, take our best, try and force a surrender, no blood." The Lawbringer ordered, once again met only by a stern nod in response. Ademar was a loyal friend, losing him here would not only be unneccesary, it would be unfair to his legacy. Legendary Warden of the Blackstone Legion, slain by common mercenaries? That would not do.

Two ladders were in position, one at each end of the wall, this was so they could easily envelope the archers and have an easier time pressuring them into surrendering.  
Ademar went up the left side, a few captains he had chosen by name went up the right, no more was neccesary.  
Once Ademar reached the top he saw just how afraid and inexperienced these archers were, they were trembling, shaking. It was a miracle they were actually landing shots _close_ to their marks, the way they were handling their weapons.

"You! Archers, know when you are beaten! Cease fire and lay down your arms!" Ademar beckoned, much to the surprise of the poor archers he had just snook up on, how had they not seen him climb up?  
No matter, Ademar pinned that on their obvious inexperience. Sure enough, the troops manning the wall surrendered almost immediately, save for one.

"Die, Blackstone dogs!" A voice sounded from the opposite side of the wall, he noticed the captains he had chosen were being bogged down by one of Daubenys' own.  
Ademar approached the defending captain from behind and pulled the sword from his hand.

"No one has to die here." Ademar snarled. He threw the sword from the wall, which landed at the feet of one now very frightened lord. "Captains, restrain him and bring him to the main courtyard. The rest of you!" He turned to face the archers, "If you do not wish to die, cast aside your arms and ill will and make your way to the courtyard with the rest of your men, we are not here for blood." They didn't need to be told twice, and soon enough they began their climb down to the courtyard.

Some moments later, a deafening crash sounded from below. The gate was breached. A cloud of debris shrouded the gateway, from it emerged a towering castle of iron, a Lawbringer.

"Now men, charge!" Daubeny howled, not actually charging himself. Three men from the mob he had gathered ran forward to attack the armoured knight.

Holden grabbed the first by his sword arm and squeezed it from his hand, casting him aside afterwards.  
The second, he simply close-lined, still only making use of his free hand.  
The third received a fist to the gut, and falling to his knees in agony.

"Stop!" Cross shouted as his own troops began entering the courtyard behind him. "Daubeny! These warriors don't have to die, trial by combat, right now!"

Daubeny scoffed at the remark. "What? Fight you? That's not a trial, that's an execution!" He wasn't wrong, to be fair.

"Then fight my second, Warden Ademar." Who had just finished making his way down from the wall, Captain Adams in tow.

"My stance will not change, Lawbringer, I'll not be a lamb set to slaughter!" Daubeny's grip was tight on his sword, whether he'd even do anything with it well, not even he knew.

"There are no alternatives coward, any lives given today are given in your name, such cannot go unpunished." Ademar growled.

"Correct." Holden interjected. "But it is not only today's lives you'll pay for, but those lost in recent events, you understand?"

"T-The emissary." Daubeny mumbled.

"Indeed." Holden removed his helmet and handed it to his second.

"We were hunting, he and his men assaulted us! I swear by my oaths!" Daubeny pleaded. Cross saw through his lies.

"Our advanced party found nothing but Blackstone bodies, and your house banner. The fact that they were simply left to decay already makes you guilty of the accused crimes, but now you insult your former order by seaking to use your broken oaths to shield you? There were no signs of a Warden's involvement, or one's pendant, give it up Hervis, you've lost."

"F- Former order?" Daubeny was desperate. "How dare you!?" He screamed, sounding as though he was on the brink of an outburst.

"Enough!" A voice from behind the mob echoed throughout the courtyard.

A warrior donning silver-like partial plate stepped forward from the keep's main structure along with Amelia, Marus, Galen and the rest of Daubeny's force in tow

"Aha! Impeccable timing Hector! Now, slay these fools!" Daubeny turned to face Holden, his face was lit up behind his visor, overjoyed by the sight of reinforcements.

Hector signaled his force to hold position, while he and his companions approached alone. He began by addressing the mob that stood alongside Daubeny.

"If death is what you long for, stand beside this lord, if not, join your comrades." Hector's voice was a little raspy after spending so much time in a cell, but it carried purpose nevertheless and within seconds, the mob disbanded, leaving the lord alone in the center of the courtyard.

"Wha-" Daubeny tried to find the words to question the Warden, but was cut off by the back of the same Warden's gauntlet. Falling to one knee, he looked up to see Hector towering over him.  
Hector had made his purpose known and in doing so not only shamed the lord in front of his former soldiers but also shattered what was left of the lord's hopes for victory.  
He turned to the Lawbringer and fell to one knee, Amelia and Galen followed in suit, the formality was somewhat lost on Marus though and it took him a few moments to catch on.

"We are at your mercy, Holden Cross." Hector maintained the posture, awaiting a response from the Blackstone Commander.

"Rise Warden, we are not here to conquer or intimidate you, we are here to relieve you." Hector had been informed of such already, but formalities like this were required as a sign of respect.

"N-No! I won't have it!" Daubeny howled, drawing his sword, he lunged at Hector, but to his dismay found his sword pierced the heart of another.

"Galen!" Amelia shrieked, catching the dying man as he fell to the floor.

Daubeny stared in shock, but was interrupted by a fist in the gut from Marus, soon finding himself restrained by not only the Gladiator, but Ademar as well, who had cast aside his lord's helmet as well as his own sword to try and stop the lord in his tracks.

Amelia cradled Galens head, but he was already gone. She whispered a quick prayer before laying his lifeless body to rest on the ground beside her.  
The courtyard was dead silent, save for grunts from the now captive Daubeny.  
Amelia saw nothing but red, she drew her dagger and went for Daubeny's throat, only to be interrupted by a weighted shove from Hector.

"Wait, Rose!" Hector said, pinning her arms to the ground.

"Let me go Hector! He dies, right now!" Amelia was enraged, Hector had never seen this side of her, a bloodthirsty beast being kept from her prey.

"Indeed, he will pay." Holden approached the two of them, Amelia was desperately trying to break free from the Warden's grip, having very little success, his raw strength alone had her at a serious disadvantage in this position.  
The Lawbringer took a knee beside the Warden and the Peacekeeper.  
"Normally, I am the one to adjudicate those who are guilty, but on this occasion I will offer you that right." He placed his hand on Hector's shoulder, signalling him to step aside.  
"After all, from what I have been told, this would not have been possible without you, Peacekeeper."

Amelia locked eyes with the Lawbringer, she saw oceans of guilt within them, more than that, she saw sincerity and purpose. A purpose that drove her to be rid of her bloodlust and she proceeded to loosen the grip on her blade, and let it fall to floor beside her.  
Hector carefully clambered to his feet, using his sheathed sword as a crutch. Holden held out his hand to the Peacekeeper to which she quickly accepted and he helped her to her feet.  
Before anything more could be said or done, she spun around and formally introduced Daubeny's face to her boot, in doing so, launching his helmet from his head, revealing a clearly broken man.  
She spun back around, her sharp gaze reconnecting with that of the Lawbringer.

"When?" She snapped.

"Soon enough. For now, we must discuss how we plan to move beyond this." He said as he looked to Galen's body.

Amelia sighed, but soon gave in, kneeling back beside Galen, his body was still, completely lifeless. She brushed her hand over his face, softly closing his eyes and whispered another prayer as she did so.

"sit huic in pace, quia ille mortuus est et vixit, vere fortis." - **"May this man rest in peace, for he died as he lived, truly brave."  
** She rose and approached the soldiers that stood before the keep.  
"You all knew him, and he knew all of you." She took a breath, trying to contain her melancholy. "Who will help me carry him?" It didn't take long for waves of volunteers to approach her, and together, they approached Galen's body and gentely raised him above their heads.  
After each soldier charged with carrying him had a comfortable hold on him, they began their march back into the keep.

Those left outside were mostly Blackstones, save for Hector, Marus, and the black sheep, Daubeny.

"You have a dungeon?" Holden asked Hector.

"We do. Marus?" Hector turned to face the Gladiator who was still restraining the lord, who, following the murder of one of his longest serving subject, couldn't be described as anything but hollow.

"Aye, I'll take him. Mind lending a hand Warden?" He looked to Ademar.

"With my lord's leave, gladly." Holden nodded, and the two began what would be nothing short of a tiresome journey, dragging a grown man in partial plate halfway across the keep? Joy.

Once the two had set out with Daubeny, Hector turned back to the Lawbringer.

"Your men are more than welcome here, Commander Cross. I must speak with my companions and troops, this shift of power won't come without doubts. If it is okay, may we discuss further terms later on in private?"

Holden thought it over for a short while, but decided that the Warden's request was more than fair.

"Very well Warden, Hector was it?" Hector nodded. "My men have brought their own food and supplies. We'll withdraw for now, when you have finished with your business, you'll find our main camp just down the road."

Hector nodded and extended his arm which Holden was quick to accept.

Holden smiled. The two shook hands and parted ways, leaving the courtyard in solemn silence.

* * *

 **Sooooooo, did you like it? I certainly enjoyed writing it.**

 **Again, I apologise for being so late with this, I made it about 1,200 words in and hit F5 by accident without saving... lesson learned.**

 **Buuuuut one all nighter and a loooot of perseverance later, here it is!**

 **The translations were pulled from Google, so sorry if they're not 100% accurate.**

 **See you all soon! Next chapter will likely be a bit shorter as we deal with the aftermath of this little, thiiiiing, as well as set up for the battle at Harrowgate.**

 **Reviews are always welcome and responded to so feel free to leave one! (PLEASE) x}  
**

 **Until next time!**


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